O'Connells and Fionnbarra relegated after playoff final losses
October 18, 2021
Derek Crilly - Dundalk Gaels
Dundalk Gaels maintained their Senior Championship status for next season with a 1-10 to 0-6 victory over O’Connells in the relegation decider at a very wet Darver on Saturday night.
The Ramparts club were made fight all the way and only made sure of their victory going into the last five minutes when Dylan McKeown scored the only goal of the game.
The Bellingham side had the first two points through Emmet Byrne and Jackie Agnew only for Derek Crilly and Luke Murray to level matters. In a low-scoring half McKeown kicked the final point of the half to send his team in at the break leading by 0-3 to 0-2.
Points from Stuart Osborne and Stuart Reynolds had the Bellingham side back in front early in the second half, but the Gaels regained control with successive scores from Gerard McSorley (3), Barry Watters and McKeown.
It was McKeown who settled the issue when he found the net to keep his team in the senior ranks for another season.
Roche Emmets will be playing in the Intermediate Championship once again next year after an excellent second half performance saw them defeat Nh Fionnbarra in the relegation play-off on Saturday evening.
The Faughart side fired in four second half goals in a 4-14 2-7 win at Darver to see the Finbarrs return to the Junior ranks for 2022.
The first half proved to be a very tense and cagey affair and it was no surprise that the teams couldn’t be separated after the first 30 minutes as they went in level at five points apiece. Roche were on target through Barry O’Hare (2), Mark Byrne (2) and Glen Stewart.
The game turned in Roche’s favour within five minutes of the restart when Stewart hit the back of the net. The men in blue took confidence from that score and went on to dominate the remainder of the game and led by 1-10 to 0-7 at the second water break.
A second goal from Shane Byrne on 49 minutes put them firmly in command before two late goals from Mark Byrne put the issue beyond doubt, despite the Finbarrs replying with goals from Brendan Simms and Conor Osbourne.
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